Background

History

In 1997 Charles Back, having established Fairview in Paarl as one of South Africa's most successful and popular wine estates, bought a farm called Klein Amoskuil near Malmesbury in the Swartland region north-west of Paarl. The relaxation of legislation confining wine growers from producing in designated areas gave the entrepreneurial Back free rein to set out and find new vineyard sites. This allowed him to expand beyond what his inherited farm, Fairview could offer in terms of new styles of wine, particularly reds, expressive of the Cape's Mediterranean climate. He found it in the combination of mixed clay-gravel laterite and deep, red, decomposed granite soils of Klein Amoskuil. In just two years he transformed the place. Grubbing up under performing vines and retaining select blocks of 40-year-old Chenin and Pinotage, which promised - and subsequently delivered - distinctive wines. Warm-climate reds were established: Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Tannat

Winemaking details

Charl de Plessis

Regional info

In essence, the Spice Route Winery's name reflects what the vineyard, the wines and the people are all about. It recalls the ancient mariners of the 15th century braving the tempestuous waters of the ‘Cape of Storms' as they plied their trade bringing exotic Eastern spices to Western Europe along the so-called ‘Spice Route'. The Table Mountain can be viewed from the Spice Route vineyards in the Swartland region. Planted on Richter 99 rootstock, Shiraz makes up the majority of the blend and is sourced from a dryland, trellised vineyard planted on Oakleaf soils. The remainder of the grapes in the blend are from bushvine vineyards planted on Oakleaf and Koffieklip soils.